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The article is an example of malicious omission. The actual Rockefeller Institute data (https://rockinst.org/issue-areas/fiscal-analysis/balance-of-...) shows that it's not so much "blue states" but four very wealthy Northeast states (the Tri-State area plus Massachusetts) that account for the bulk of citizens paying more than they receive from the federal government. I can guarantee that this was exactly the same in 1920, when all four states (especially MA) were moderately to strongly Republican, because they were even wealthier compared to the rest of the country than today.

The 10 states at the bottom of the Rockefeller report's per capita list—that is, the states that benefit from the most federal spending per person compared to how much each person pays in federal taxes—are

Hillary-voting states: VA, NM, MD, HI, ME

Trump-voting states: KY, AK, AL, WV, MS

... which is exactly what I said, based on the State of New York report I cited.

1 comments

"The biggest givers in our latest report, based on 2018 data, were New York, which paid in US$22 billion more than it received; New Jersey, which paid $12 billion more; Massachusetts, which paid $9 billion more; and Connecticut, which paid $8 billion more than it received."

So the 4 biggest payers in 2018 were New York, New Jersey, Massachusets and Connecticut. Aren't these all "blue states"?

The 4 biggest recipients are Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia. Aren't those all "red states"?

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2020-05-15/...

Actual numbers: https://rockinst.org/issue-areas/fiscal-analysis/balance-of-...

>So the 4 biggest payers in 2018 were New York, New Jersey, Massachusets and Connecticut. Aren't these all "blue states"?

Yes, but my point is that those states are subsidizing almost the rest of the country, no matter who those other states voted for.

>The 4 biggest recipients are Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia. Aren't those all "red states"?

No. Maryland is a very Democratic state, and Virginia is a swing state that has recently voted mostly Democratic, including for Hillary in 2016.

>Actual numbers: https://rockinst.org/issue-areas/fiscal-analysis/balance-of-...

Why are you linking this URL as if I needed to see it, as if I didn't cite it in my previous comment?